'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Formula One is all about winning races and ultimately, winning the drivers’ championship. The primary desire of any Formula One driver would be to win at least one race in the sport before calling it a day. Once the first race is won, it is only natural that the driver would want to follow up his previous win with another.
However, for some drivers, securing a second race win turned out to become a daunting task as they had to wait for a very long duration before registering that elusive second race win, and in this article, let us look closer at the five drivers who had to wait for the longest before registering consecutive race wins.
#5 John Watson – 75 Grand Prix
Kicking off the list is Britain’s John Watson. His unfortunate record came during the 1976 season and the 1981 season.
Driving the Penske PC3, Watson won the first Grand Prix of his career at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. The Briton started the race from the front row and went on to win the race, 10.8 seconds ahead of Jacques Laffite.
Since then, Watson failed to record a race win until 1981. Between the interval, the British racing driver did manage to five podiums, though.
The 1981 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was where he ended his winless streak. Watson started the race from the fifth place and stormed to a memorable victory after race-favourites Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux were forced to retire from the Grand Prix.
During his entire Formula One career, John Watson secured 20 podiums and five race wins.
#4 Mario Andretti – 81 Grand Prix
Mario Andretti’s winless streak continued between 1971 and 1976, spanning over five years and seven months.
The American’s first win came at the 1971 South African Grand Prix. Driving for Scuderia Ferrari, Andretti started the race from the second row and secured a memorable race win after claiming the lead during the closing stages of the Grand Prix.
After that win, the American racing driver didn’t feature on the podium till the 1976 Formula One season.
His second Formula One win came at the famous 1976 Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji International Speedway. Andretti started the race on pole position and went on to claim a victory under tricky race conditions to end his winless streak at 81 Grand Prix.
Mario Andretti’s Formula One career spanned for fourteen years. During that time, he managed to secure 19 podiums along with 12 race wins.
#3 Rubens Barrichello – 84 Grand Prix
Rubens Barrichello takes the third spot on the list with a winless streak of 84 Grand Prix. The Brazilian driver’s record came between the 2004 season and the 2009 season.
Driving for the Scuderia Ferrari, Barrichello recorded a race win at the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix. The Brazilian had a fantastic weekend for he won the Grand Prix after starting the race from pole position. He won the race with a margin of 1.035 seconds after enduring a tight battle with Jensen Button during the closing stages of the race.
Rubens Barrichello’s next win came at the 2009 European Grand Prix. Driving for Brawn, he won the Grand Prix after starting the race from the third spot. The Brazilian won the race with a slender margin of 2.3 seconds over McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Between these two wins, Barrichello managed to secure five podium finishes.
With a career of almost two decades, Rubens Barrichello recorded 68 podiums, and 11 race wins.
#2 Riccardo Patrese – 98 Grand Prix
Riccardo Patrese’s long wait between two consecutive race wins came between the 1983 season and the 1990 season.
Driving the Brabham, Patrese’s last win before his infamous record came at the 1983 South African Grand Prix. The Italian started the race from the third place and went on to claim the second victory of his career.
After a wait of over six years and six months, Patrese’s next race win came at the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix. The Italian's win came from the third place once again. Patrese was able to overtake Gerhard Berger, who led the most of the race, during the business end of the race to claim a famous victory. Between those two wins, Riccardo Patrese managed to secure eight podium finishes, with six of them coming in the 1989 Formula One season.
Riccardo Patrese’s seventeen-year long career includes 37 podiums and six race wins.
#1 Kimi Raikkonen – 114 Grand Prix
With the win at the 2018 United States Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen takes the top spot on the list with 114 Grand Prix. The Finn had to wait for over five years between 2013 and 2018 to record consecutive race wins.
In the 2013 Formula One season, the former world champion’s win came during the opening round of the season at Albert Park. Driving the Lotus, Kimi Raikkonen won the race after qualifying in the seventh place, finishing some 12 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
Raikkonen’s next win came at the 2018 United States Grand Prix. The Finn had a fantastic drive with the Ferrari team with him taking the lead on the first lap and setting the pace for the entire Grand Prix. Before his win at Austin in 2018, the Finn recorded 22 podium finishes since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen’s sixteen-year-long career (Mexican Grand Prix) features 102 podiums, 21 race wins and a drivers’ championship in 2007.
